One Single Bullet
by Sperrow
Summary: Jack swears it will be the last time he sees Barbossa running away on his ship, and Elizabeth realizes she knows nothing about him except from the stories she read or the tales told by drunken pirates she met. She tries to discover more about him, and ends up dicovering things about herself.
1. Chapter 1

This should be an alternative/extended version of the island scene from The Curse of the Black Pearl. As a Sparrabeth shipper myself, that scene is one of my favorites, but I felt like a few things should be added. Ok, not just a few things. I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes, english is not my first language. I hope you enjoy reading it was much as I enjoyed writing!

* * *

She was upset, he could see that. As she was enumerating the things she thought he'd done, Jack tried not to yell at her and say that it was all a lie. He didn't know his "adventures" were so famous, and that Elizabeth was such a big fan of them.

"What are you talking about, love?"

"What do you mean 'what I'm talking about'? You've done all those things, those unbelievable things and now you don't seem to care that we're marooned here and that there's no way to leave unless you try to do something."

"And what for? Why should we leave? We have all we need here. There's rum, there's food, there's the sea, there's…" He made a gesture in her direction, "Everything's fine. Why would I want to go anywhere far from here? To let your lovely friend Norrington kill me?"

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. There was something about Jack that was different ever since they got to the island. He wasn't all smiley as the usual, and wasn't making his usual jokes about her corset. He was serious and seemed to be worried about something, maybe he was upset about something.

* * *

"Jack."

"Hm?" he said, while drinking the last drop of one of the many bottles of rum he'd found underground.

"What really happened here?"

"Happened where?"

"Here. On this island. You did not trap two sea turtles to your feet and certainly did not stay three days and three nights in the water to let them get used to your presence." She was looking at him, really trying to figure him out, but it was a tough thing to do. He had a talent to close himself up.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, darling. It's late and you had too much rum, you should probably get some sleep."

"Why won't you just say what happened, Jack? You knew about the cove full of rum, and Barbossa said something about dropping you here 'again'. I am the only one here with you, I'll probably die here with you. I have the right to know at least one thing about you that is not a despicable lie!"

After a few minutes of silence, Jack realized she was right. She _was_ the only one there, and they _would_ probably die in a few weeks, so there was no harm in telling her the truth. And also, she was drunk, so she probably wouldn't remember any of that by the morning.

"Alright," he stood up. "You do have a point here, Lizzie. Let's take a walk" he said, offering his arm.

The night was beautiful. The stars were really bright and all they could hear was the sea and the fire they've just made. They've been walking for almost ten minutes now.

"What then might I divulge?"

"What really happened when you first came here. The _truth_."

"But first, _you_ shall tell me what you know about me. You said something about reading?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, she knew he was trying to avoid that conversation. "Well, yes. I've always been interested in pirates ever since the little incident when I was eight. Will and his medallion. Those stories fascinated me. So I began to read lots of books about piracy and tales about brave and evil men who would kill a whole crew just to get a girl," and in the most flirtatious way she could, Elizabeth looked at him, winking. It could be the rum, but she was really _talkative_ that night, "And one day I came across one of the tails in which you were the main character."

"I had no idea people wrote about me."

"Oh, they do. I found out later that there were many other tales with you in them. And I read," now her face was really close to his "_all_ of them."

"I feel flattered, dear." Jack said with a smirk.

She ran away and picked a twig on the ground, swinging it in the air, pretending it was a sword.

"You were so brave on those stories, Jack." She kept spinning and fighting an invisible enemy, what Jack found really amusing. "You were always so bad but so brave. You fought sea monsters, and you killed a mermaid! That's almost impossible in literature, if you don't know. Your tales were the best," she was really close again, "but you're nothing like that man on the tales, are you Jack?" She now had her arms around his neck, and as he stared at her lips, trying to figure out what she was up to, she kept looking at the stars. "Don't think I forgot about what you told me, Mr. Sparrow."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You told me you would tell me what happened here. And I…" She sat on the ground and pulled him by the arm. "Want to hear it."

"Don't you think we could do something more… Interesting while we're here?" His lips were nearly touching hers when she stood up and stepped back.

"Jack Sparrow! I think I need another bottle of rum to be able to have this conversation!" He had stood up too, and had his arms around her hips.

"Do you?" He said, kissing her.


	2. Chapter 2

She felt his hands on her back, the warmth of his body, and all she wanted was more. But all of a sudden, reality hit her.

"Jack, stop!" she cried, pushing him abruptly. "Stop!"

"What? What happened?" Jack said, searching for any kind of danger, maybe a snake, maybe some wild animal, or worse, maybe _Norrington_.

"I… I can't kiss you, Jack. I can't, I…" She didn't know what to say. She knew she loved Will, and always would. And Norrington wanted to marry her. She couldn't just kiss a pirate in a desolate island.

"This can't happen." She started to walk away, going towards the other side of the island, hoping Jack wouldn't follow, because she knew that if he did, she wouldn't be able to (or maybe she didn't want to) control herself.

* * *

When she woke up in the morning, Elizabeth realized Jack hadn't followed her, after all. And now, no longer under the effects of rum, she could think properly about what had happened. The real reason why she ran away was that she felt scared. Not scared of Jack, not him. She was scared of what could happen if she actually gave in to the feelings for Jack that were starting to grow inside of her and she hadn't seen until the kiss. Because she knew she'd be silly if she actually had a crush on him. He was a pirate, and moreover, he was _Jack Sparrow_.

"Had good dreams?" Jack said, holding something that looked like bread in one hand and a coconut in the other. "Breakfast?"

"Thank you."

He sat beside her. "I'm sorry if it's not like the feasts you're used to, but that's all we have."

"How much do we have?" She didn't want to talk about what happened, so they had to talk about something.

"A little. It could do for a week, maybe a little more."

"And _what_ do we have?" Looking at the bread, the rest of the things couldn't be any better.

"Lots of bread and some rice. There's also some sugar and flour. We have the coconuts. Water is the problem."

"We don't have water?"

"A little. But I suggest we don't drink it all in a day."

Elizabeth nodded, trying to swallow her breakfast. How long could she live like this? Would they die in a few weeks? She couldn't help but notice that Jack was serious again. And she remembered that he hadn't told her what happened to him when he first came to that island.

"Is everything ok?"

"Couldn't be better, my dear."

"You seem… anxious about something."

"No, love, I'm fine. I'm just…" It looked like he was about to say something, but his eyes started to stare at the ocean and he apparently lost the track of what he was saying. Or maybe he didn't want to talk about that, as usual. "We should try to think of a way to leave. As soon as possible."

"You're the one who wanted to stay." She said, teasing him.

"I know, I know. But it's not good for a lady like you to be trapped here with a filthy pirate, is it?"

"So _you_ don't want to go back?"

"I do, I do. But let's think about you now, shall we?" that said, he stood up and left, disappearing while getting another bottle of rum in the little cove underground, saying nothing about the other night, or about his story, or nothing Elizabeth wanted to know at all.

* * *

It was probably the hottest day Elizabeth had ever lived. There was no wind and the shades of the trees were not big enough. Jack was laying near the water, holding a bottle of rum, and Elizabeth was trying to survive the heat by fanning herself with a leaf of a palm tree she managed to get with Jack's help.

"Jack."

"Hm? Yes?" He was sleeping, and she wished she hadn't called him.

"I need some water."

"Feel free to get some, love."

"If I could find that hiding place of yours, I would."

"Are you sure you don't know where it is?"

"Will you show me or not?"

Lazily, he stood up. "Alright. Follow me."

Under some trees, there was a part of the ground with less sand than the others, it had to be there.

"Here it is, dear. Drink away. Just don't drink all of it. And don't forget to put some leafs over the trapdoor when you close it so you'll be able to find it next time."

"Alright." She was worried. Their life time was defined by the amount of water they had. If the water ended, they would die in a few days, and Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to end like that.

"Is everything alright, Lizzie?"

"Yes, it's just… I wanted to talk to you. We're going to die, aren't we, Jack?" That was not what she wanted to talk about at first, but that worry took over her mind when she saw how much water they had.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Look at this. We only have a little bit of water left, and the food will end too. The coconuts won't be here forever, either. We will die, Jack."

"Everybody dies, love."

"Jesus, Jack! Why can't you tell me what's really happening?"

"Why don't _you_ tell me what's really happening?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well…" He sat down and took a long swig from the bottle he was holding. "You kissed me last night, and today acted as if nothing happened."

"Oh, don't you look at me with that smirk on your face. You know why I can't kiss you, or God knows what else."

"It's the blacksmith, isn't it? _Will_. Or maybe Mr. Norrington? I lost track of all your affairs, Lizzie."

"They're not my _affairs_!" She sat down beside him, he offered the bottle and she accepted it, what did she have to lose, anyway? "Norrington didn't ask for my hand yet. Not officially. And Will…"

"He's your true love."

"I don't know."

"If he wasn't, you would have let me kiss you a little bit more yesterday."

"Maybe I just don't like you." And she looked at him. He knew it wasn't true, he knew she _did_ like him, so he smiled.

"Last time, I was here a grand total of three days." He said, playing with the sand on his hands. "The rumrunners used this island as a cache, came by, and I was able to barter passage off. Does this satisfy you?"

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. She already knew that the stories she had read weren't true, but hearing him saying it was a bit of a shock.

"So that's it, then? That's the secret adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow?" She was smiling at him, and he smiled back. "You spent three days, lying on a beach, drinking rum?"

"Well, welcome to the Caribbean, love."

"Doesn't sound very pirate to me."

"It isn't." He then laid on the sand. "Most of my story isn't."

"That's why you were upset? Because you're a total farce?"

"No, not a _total_ farce. Some of the stories might be true."

Elizabeth laid down beside him, staring at the blue sky. She was happy he'd told her. For some reason that she couldn't explain, it made her feel closer to him, in a way.


	3. Chapter 3

This is a little chapter in which my dreams come true. Maybe things will change. But that's just an idea.

* * *

They spent the whole night dancing around the bonfire, and Elizabeth tried not to think about anything else but the way her feet were moving on the cold sand. Singing songs about pirates, drinking rum and spinning when she wanted to. She could really say that she was _happy_. And she hadn't felt that way for a long time.

"I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life here, you know, Jack?"

"I think you had too much rum, sweetheart."

"No, I mean it! Look at this. Look at what we've got. We will stay here until we die, won't we?"

"Probably."

"So I _will_ spend the rest of my days here, with you, won't I?"

"Most likely."

"It's just the reality, Mr. Sparrow."

"You don't seem to be concerned with the idea of dying here anymore, Miss Swann."

"I decided not to worry. Live a lie. Just like you. It's easier this way, isn't it?"

"I should be offended, but I could say that it is easier, indeed."

Jack couldn't say he wasn't happy himself. He had enough rum for a few more weeks and he had recently realized some different… feelings for Miss Swann.

"Would you really spend the rest of your days with me, Elizabeth?" He said, standing in front of her, holding her arms.

"I don't think I have a choice."

"No. If you had a choice. Would you?"

"Are you asking to marry me, Mr. Sparrow?"

Jack didn't say anything, and Elizabeth looked around, thinking about the life she'd had until that day. She couldn't remember a time in her life in which she had been happier than in those last few days. She wasn't sure about her feelings for Jack, but she knew that living there with him, even though it was just for a few weeks, was probably the best thing that could ever have happened to her.

"Yes. I guess I would."

She could see a light in his eyes when she gave him the answer. Apparently, that's what she wanted, and, for the first time in her life, she was completely sure about something.

"That is a lovely choice, Lizzie." He said, while leaning on to kiss her. His lips seemed warmer than the last time. It was probably the fire, or the rum. Elizabeth didn't think about her feelings this time, she didn't feel scared. All she could think about was Jack's hands all over her. And the fact that, maybe, he _had_ feelings for her, in the end.

* * *

When she woke up, Elizabeth felt Jack's arm around her waist, and she wished she could stay there for the rest of time. Maybe she would.

"Good morning, lovebird." Jack whispered, with the usual smirk on his voice.

"Good morning."

"So, now that we're married." Elizabeth laughed. "I think it's time we found a way to leave this place. After all, we cannot live like this, can we? Where are we going to raise our children?" He looked at her with a smile on his face. "What say you, Ms. Sparrow?"

"I think," She then started to walk around him. "Someone hit the head last night."

"Well, that could have happened. Since you were a little _violent_."

Elizabeth laughed, as Jack wrapped his arms around her.

"I was thinking, you said something about the rumrunners using this island as a cache, right?"

"I did, yes."

"Why don't we just leave with them on the next time they come here?"

"That's a great idea, love, but they're no longer on the business."

"Really? And what's that over there?"

Jack tried to see what Elizabeth was talking about, and on that moment he saw a ship. And it was coming on their direction.


	4. Chapter 4

"It could be Norrington," Elizabeth said, trying to be optimistic.

"I don't think Norrington would sail under a pirate flag, do you?"

After a few moments, Elizabeth asked:

"What are we going to do, Jack? We cannot hide here."

"Yes, we can. Do you think they saw us?"

"No. They're too far."

"Good."

Jack took Elizabeth by the hand and ran to the little cove where they kept the rum and the food. They couldn't be the rumrunners, they _were_ out of business, and Jack knew it. And if they weren't the rumrunners, they wouldn't know about that place.

"All you have to do is keep quiet, Lizzie. They might not even stop here. They might be just passing by. This is a route. This is normal." Jack was saying those words partly to Elizabeth and partly to himself. He wanted to believe they were not in danger; he wanted to believe _she_ was not in danger.

After what it seemed to be long hours, Jack and Elizabeth heard steps above them. So the ship did stop there. And now the crew was walking right above their heads. The trapdoor was abruptly opened, and a woman with very dark hair and extremely bright eyes looked at them with a sarcastic smile.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," she said, in disbelief, "who would guess…"

"Anne." Jack seemed to be a little surprised himself. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"I'm not sure I can call you 'captain', though, because I don't see your ship."

"I'm in the market, as it were."

"Jack, Jack, Jack." Suddenly, she realized Elizabeth was there, terrified, staring at her. "Oh! A lovely lady. And what's _your _name, love?"

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth Sw…"

"She's a friend of mine!" Jack interrupted. "We were getting rum for us, would you like some?"

"Oh, yes." Anne said. "Yo-ho, yo-ho, and a bottle of rum, right?"

Elizabeth didn't understand what had just happened. Jack knew that woman and seemed to be anxious again. About what?

"Is this your crew?" Jack asked Anne as he left the cove, leaving Elizabeth alone.

"Yes. They're all my men."

"And that's_ your_ ship?"

"Right again."

"How did you become captain? Where's George?"

"I beat him. In a duel, you know?"

"How?"

"Well, with a sword."

"George was the best that I've ever known."

"Well, I…"

"Excuse me." Elizabeth interrupted. "Who are you? How do you two know each other?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself, how rude. I'm Anne Bonney, captain of the Sea King."

"_Captain_?"

"I know. A woman, being a captain? But you might understand, my dear, that women are here to stay. And about me and Mr. Sparrow here, we've known each other for quite some time. Old friends, you see."

"Ah." Finally, Elizabeth seemed to understand, and she felt a little point of jealousy when she did. "Friends."

"I can see, Jack." Anne said, counting the bottles in the cove. "That you two had plenty of fun while you've been here, am I right?"

"What do you mean, dearie?"

"You had lots of rum, Jack. And you have to pay for what you consume. Everything has a price, you should know that."

"I'm sorry. Weren't you 'out of business'?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh, no. We never stopped. Captain George left, but his trading persists. And I shall tell you that you'll have to pay for what you consumed. It seems like you've been here for months!"

"My friend Elizabeth," Jack shared a look with her while talking to Anne. "She has lots of money, and will be happy to pay whenever we get to land."

"Oh, Jack. You haven't changed, have you? There's no 'whenever we get to land'. Either you two pay what you owe right now and I leave satisfied on my ship, or you can come with me and pay your expenditure working for me for a while. What say you?"

"Can I talk to her in private for a second?" Jack pulled Elizabeth by the arm and started walking to the other side of the island.

"What is happening here, Jack?! We cannot leave with that woman!"

"Elizabeth, listen to me. She's the better option we have, alright? If we stay here, what will happen to us? We will die in a few weeks, you said that yourself. And now we don't even have this option anymore. We cannot pay. I promise you, on the first time we make port, anywhere; we will escape and get you back to Port Royal. Do you understand me?"

Elizabeth nodded, trying not to look terrified. And she couldn't help but realizing that Jack forgot about the fact that they would be together. It didn't seem to matter anymore.

"Oi! Anne!" Jack called. "We accept your terms. And we'll go with you on your ship."

"Marvelous! I'll enjoy some girl company for a change."

"Under one condition." Jack added. "Elizabeth doesn't sleep alone with the crew. You know what the men can do."

"Oh, Jack, but she won't sleep alone with the crew. _You_ will be there to protect her."

"I'm serious."

"Alright. I might have a room for her."

Anne took a few bottles of rum, gave them to the crew and started walking to the ship. Jack held Elizabeth's hand, leading her while she seemed to absorb all that was happening. When they were on the ship, he approached her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to do what he was doing when Anne and her ship first appeared.

"What now, Jack?" Elizabeth asked, worried.

"Off we go, Ms. Sparrow." he whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

After a few days aboard the ship, Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand the heat, the sea, and most of all, she couldn't stand the _captain_.

"You sick, Miss Elizabeth?" Anne was sitting on the edge of the ship, leisurely checking her compass while Elizabeth rubbed the deck with all the strength she had.

"Why do you ask?" She tried to look tough.

"You don't look well. You're pale, lost weight, your hair is not so bright anymore. Not used to real work, eh?"

"I'd rather not talk about my past, Captain."

"Who are you, really? Why were you with Jack? _How _do you know him?"

Elizabeth kept rubbing the floor, resisting the impulse of pushing Anne and seeing her drown or maybe just disappear on the sea.

"I am talking to you, missy!"

"Well I do have the right to keep my mouth shut, Captain. I am _not_ feeling well, so if you please, I have work to do."

Jack was coming on her direction while she left with the bucket and the utterly dirty water in it. They shared a look but didn't talk. They were trying to keep their relationship from Anne. She couldn't know about their involvement, or about her past. If she knew that Elizabeth was the governor's daughter, she would certainly threaten her and ask for a discharge.

"Lovely talk, apparently." He said with a smirk.

"Your friend certainly doesn't know how to keep a conversation going, Jack. And that very much disappoints me, since I was hoping I'd get some girl talk while she's here."

"'While she's here'?"

"She doesn't help. She's costing me too much. I am in need of men, but not desperate. I might drop her on that little island again after the pillage."

"I'm sorry, pillage?"

"Oh yes, Jack. Didn't you notice we haven't gotten much far from the island we originally found you two? We're waiting here. It's a route, as you might know. There's a ship coming. A stuffed one. And we're waiting for it to come so that we can do a little bit of honest piracy."

"Oh. You don't… happen to know who's the commander of the ship, do you?"

"Waiting for someone?"

"Just curious."

"No, I don't. Now, Jack." She was standing right in front of him, and started to walk around him just like a tiger about to attack its prey. "I need _you_ to tell me something."

"Anything you'd like, Captain."

"I think we better have this conversation in my cabin. You know, people might talk."

Jack followed her to her cabin while Elizabeth watched them. She didn't know what Anne could possibly want with him, but she felt that little point of jealousy again. This time a little bit stronger, maybe.

"Hey, Howell." She called the man that was drinking from a bottle of rum a few feet from her. "What is the Captain up to?"

"She's probably just worried about the pillage. Or maybe she heard the rumors about the mutiny. She's definitely worried, missy, about that you can be certain."

"Ah. But you see, _I_ haven't heard anything about the pillage or the mutiny, so if you could just fill me in…"

While Elizabeth spoke to the crewmen about the plans they had for after the pillage, Jack was in the captain's cabin trying to understand what she wanted from him. Well, he knew _one _of the things she wanted, he was trying to figure out the rest.

"Jack, Jack…" Anne was sitting on her desk and Jack was on a chair right in front of her. She was trying to be _persuasive_. "You're not making it easy to me. All I want to know is if you heard anything about a mutiny."

"Love, what _you_ don't understand is that I haven't been here for long. These men are not my mates. They don't share things with me."

"Don't be a liar, Jack. I know you're very sociable when you want to." She was whispering, now standing behind him and playing with one of his dreadlocks. "Come on, Jack. For old time's sake."

"You have to do something for me first."

"And what is that?"

"Promise me you'll keep Elizabeth safe and will drop her in Port Royal after the pillage."

Anne stopped playing with his hair and sat on the chair behind her desk.

"And why would I do that? She annoys me."

"Because you want to know about the mutiny. And I have the information you need."

"Why do _you_ care so much about that girl, anyway?"

Jack didn't answer. Anne smiled and gave him a look of disbelief.

"You _like_ her! I can't believe it! Jack Sparrow is in love! Well... If you care so much about her, I promise. During the pillage I'll ask the men to keep her safe and after it I'll drop her in Port Royal, we're going in that direction, anyway. You have my word. Now your part of the deal."

"I might have heard something. But it's nothing official. Maybe after the pillage."

"So it _is_ true, then. Well, Jack. Thank you. If you want to stay here… you're always welcome."

"I am… a little bit seasick, darling. Maybe tomorrow."

Jack left the cabin and saw Elizabeth staring at the ocean, with a broken-down expression on her face. He walked in her direction, and then placed himself beside her.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He said.

"Yes. When I was a child, this was my dream, you know? Travel the seas. Get to know the oceans, meet some pirates." She laughed. "Ironic, right?"

"Sounds unusual for a little girl."

"What did she want from you, Jack?" Elizabeth was facing him.

"Ask me a few things. You know about the pillage, yes?"

"I do. It's probably Norrington's ship. He's looking for me, it has to be him."

"I hope it isn't."

"It could be our way out."

"You have your way out."

"I do?"

He couldn't tell her _how_ he managed to get her a way out. "Anne said it. She doesn't want you in her crew. She said something about dropping you somewhere after the pillage. I think she doesn't like you."

"You think? That's so sweet of you, Mr. Sparrow. I _know_ she hates me."

"Maybe she's just jealous." He was caressing her face.

"If she drops me anywhere," Elizabeth held his hand. "How are you going to find me when you're free?"

"I'll find a way."

"You better."

"Jack." Elizabeth said, after a few minutes. "How do you know her?"

"It's a long story, love."

"We have time, don't you think?" She said, sitting on the edge of the ship with her arms around his neck.

"We should try to keep this from them, remember?"

"I don't think they'll see us here. And they probably already know."

"It goes back to the time when I was on the island for the first time. She was a part of Captain George's crew. We met on the ship, when they… rescued me. She was there because of her father's debts, and wanted to leave. When she heard that I was only staying there for a while, she saw an opportunity to finally get her freedom." Elizabeth was embosoming the skin that was visible on his chest. "It's hard to concentrate like this, you know?"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"I didn't tell you to stop, though." She laughed and then continued as he spoke. "We became friends, really good friends. And that's all we were for a long time aboard the ship. I taught her how to fight with a sword. Although, if I knew what she was planning, I wouldn't have. George was a good man. A pirate, but a good man. One day the ship made port in Tortuga and I left. She came with me and we… lived there for a while."

"'Lived'? In Tortuga? If that's what you call 'living'…"

"It is, or it was. It was fine, for a while. But eventually, she ran away saying she had bigger plans. And I never saw her again."

"And apparently she still has feelings for you."

"Too bad for her."

Elizabeth chuckled and kissed his forehead.

"We should get some sleep. We never know when this big pillage will happen." She started to walk away when Jack added:

"There was… Something else she wanted to talk to me about."

"Was there? And what was it?"

"You probably heard about the mutiny, too."

Elizabeth nodded yes.

"She asked me about that. Wanted to know if I heard something about it."

"And did you tell her?"

"I might have… said something."

"Jack! I can't believe it! How could you? She's horrible!"

"As horrible as any other captain would be."

"Maybe not as horrible as you were."

"And see where that brought me." He took Elizabeth's hands and held them near his chest. "Lizzie. All the men are in this mutiny. The best she can do is get ready for it. And all depends on how she will manage it. You have your way out, and that's all that matters. She promised to take you back to Port Royal after the pillage."

"My way out is not all that matters, Jack! Don't you see? I was going to be free anyway! _This_ was their only option."

"She was going to drop you on that island she found us! And the mutiny is still happening! Are you mad at me because of some men you barely know?"

"You cannot think like that."

"Where are you going?"

"Get some sleep, and you should do the same."

"Elizabeth, wait. I'm sorry if you expected more from me but-"

"I don't know what I was expecting."

"But I am a pirate, Lizzie. A filthy one. I have done some ugly things, and you should know that."

"Good night, Jack." And as Elizabeth left, Jack could see that the one thing that could stand between them was not Will, Norrington or Anne.

It was themselves.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright. As you might have heard, there's a navy's ship passing by this route today. You're not ten-year-old boys, you know what to do. My only request is to keep Miss Elizabeth here safe while you do what you do best. The ship will be here in a few hours, as it was said to me. Prepare yourselves, because tonight we're heading to Tortuga to celebrate our success. I don't want failure disturbing my plans."

"Bossy, isn't she?" Elizabeth asked one of the men, after Anne's speech.

"One more reason to do the mutiny, eh?"

She looked to the other side of the ship and saw Jack standing there, talking to Anne. She felt jealous, as usual, but there was something else. She realized that she shouldn't be mad at him. He did what he did because he was worried about her, she should be thankful. He was right. She _was_ expecting more from him. She wanted him to be the leader of the mutiny or something noble. But he _was_ a pirate, and nothing could ever change that. She didn't want anything to change that, because that was one of the reasons why she liked him so much. He was a _pirate_. And a good man. He could be both, and he was. He did something not so good to the crew just to guarantee her safety. If that wasn't an example of a good man's action, she didn't know what was.

"Miss Elizabeth." Anne came towards her, holding a bottle of rum. "I hope you're ok with my cabin."

"Why do you ask?"

"That's where you're staying during the pillage. We don't want you getting shot or anything, do we?"

"I thought I could help."

"Well, you can't. You'd better go because the ship can be here in any minute now."

"You said in a few hours."

"It could come early."

Elizabeth walked in Anne's cabin direction. She was hoping to help on the pillage; after all, Will had taught her how to fight with a sword. _Will_. She hadn't thought about him for quite some time. Ever since she was dropped on that island with Jack, all she could think about was going home, and later, a _few_ _other things_ kept her mind occupied.

Anne's cabin was really well decorated. There was a bed on the right side of the room, covered with golden sheets, and beside the bed there was a little table with a flower-pot on it. It was a really _girly_ room, in a way. On the other side of the cabin, there were two blue armchairs and a bookcase. Right in front of the door there was her desk, covered with maps and candles. Elizabeth took a book from the shelf and read the title; "_Gulliver's Travels_". Oh, so she was a fan of Jonathan Swift, that was new. And then she kept looking through the other books. More Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Voltaire, Diana Gabaldon. Anne was not any pirate. She was not like a pirate at all, Elizabeth realized.

"Do you want to borrow one?" Anne said, standing by the door, with that constant sarcastic smile on her face.

"No, I was just curious. I didn't expect a bookshelf in a pirate's cabin."

"I bet you didn't." She took the book from Elizabeth's hands and placed it on the shelf. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

"How did you become this?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You read Charles Dickens. Most of the men here don't even know who he is. Most of them can't even read. And you're here, with a bookshelf filled with great books."

"You're no maid, are you?"

"Why would you say I'm a maid?"

"That's what Jack said. He said you were a maid at the Governor's house that was kidnapped by the pirates, ended up aboard the Pearl, and, unfortunately, was left on the island with him."

Elizabeth was surprised. "No, that's true. I _am_ a maid at the Governor's house. My mom had been working for the Governor's family for a long time, so he decided to educate me."

"That's so kind of him."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What's your story?"

"I don't think I should share my life with you, Miss Elizabeth. We're not friends." Anne sat on one of the armchairs. "But, as I think you'll be leaving in a few weeks, I can tell you a few things."

Elizabeth sat on the other armchair as Anne started to talk.

"My dad owned a library, a very good one, at the city we lived. My mom would work at a bar, cooking for the men who'd come from very long trips on their ships. That's how I got to know piracy and all that comes with it. I'd hear stories about them, all sorts of stories. One day, I was about twelve, I saw my mom talking to a very tall man called John. I never knew his last name. A few weeks later my mom ran away with him. My dad and I never knew why, she just did. Hopeless because of my mom's departure, my dad started to drink and gamble until late. And one day, he was out of coin, so he bet me on a game, and lost. I had to leave with a man and I ended up aboard the Sea King. The rest you already know."

Elizabeth was astonished by her story. Even though she didn't like her very much, Anne's story was rather sad. She could have been completely different from what she was on that moment, and all because her mother fell for some pirate. Some of that seemed familiar.

"That's how you know the books, then."

"Thanks to my father."

They were about to start talking about them when a man screamed outside.

"SHIP AT SIGHT!"

Anne stood up and opened the cabin's door. "I have to go, Miss Elizabeth. Don't leave this cabin."

Right after Anne left, Jack opened the door abruptly. He ran in Elizabeth's direction and kissed her. A kiss different from all the other they'd had. It was ardent, developer.

"What's this about?" Elizabeth asked, after some time.

"You heard the man. The ship's on the way."

"I know."

"I had to kiss you."

"Jack, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't get started." Jack said with a smirk on his face, and kissed her again. He was leading her to Anne's bed.

"I don't think we should-"

He smiled at her, taking her dress off. "You don't get to set the rules this time."

* * *

"You wait here." Jack said, buttoning his shirt.

"What if it's Norrington's ship?"

"I'll come here and take you to him. But if I don't come, _don't leave_."

"I won't." Jack was looking at her. "What?"

"I know you, Miss Swann, and one thing you do best is not following orders."

"That's not true."

Jack kissed her and then left, closing the doors behind him. Elizabeth sat on the bed, trying to hear what was happening outside those doors. For a while, she heard nothing. The ship was probably still approaching. And suddenly she heard a cannon-shot. The men started to yell at the marines, and a lot of shooting started. She heard a bump above her head. Someone probably fell near the helm. She had to see what was going on. There would be no harm in opening the doors a little bit and checking what was happening.

She walked in the door's direction and opened them a little bit, and she immediately regretted doing it. There were plenty of dead marines on the deck, and there were blood pools near their bodies. She tried to find Jack, but he wasn't on her sight. Anne was. She really was good with the sword, very graceful, actually. And then, Jack's sword fell right in front of her. So _he_ was the one who fell near the helm. He was probably really injured. She suddenly felt her heart speeding up. What happened to him? Why did he drop his sword? She opened the door and ran to the helm, hoping it was not too late to do something.

When she climbed up the stairs, she saw him. He was lying on the floor, his chest was covered in blood, and his hand, also covered in blood, was pressing his shoulder. There was pain in his eyes.

"Jack!" She cried, running towards him. "Oh my God, Jack!"

She sat beside him and placed his head on her lap.

"Elizabeth." He whispered. "I told you not to leave the cabin."

"You've been shot, and you worry about me?! What are we going to do?"

"I was going to tell you. This_ is_ Norrington's ship. I saw him, but I don't think he saw me. I was going to the cabin when I…"

"Fell down because you lost too much blood! You think you're made of rock?! You're not!"

"ELIZABETH!" She heard Norrington's voice. "IS THAT YOU?"

She looked to the other ship and saw Norrington waving his hat on the air.

"James! James! It's me!"

"You seem happy to see him, love." Jack said. "Should I be jealous?"

"Don't be silly. There's no time for that. Wait a minute here. I'll try to talk to him."

"I can't really move, anyway."

"James! James!"

She saw him talking to one of his men, and after a few moments, a bridge was placed between the two ships.

"Elizabeth, come!" Norrington said.

"I can't!" And pointed at Jack. "He's injured!"

Norrington seemed to understand, and rolled his eyes when he did. He spoke to three men and they came on her direction. She looked around to check if any Anne's crewmen were coming to stop them.

"Please take him. Be careful."

The men took Jack by the arms and legs and dragged him to the other ship. Elizabeth was about to leave when she heard Anne's voice yelling at her.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Anne, you don't understand!"

"I understand really well, 'Miss Elizabeth'." She saw Jack aboard the HMS Endeavour. "Why is he there?"

"There's a lot you don't know-" And on this moment, Anne was shot. Elizabeth looked at Norrington's direction and saw one of his men holding the gun. Anne fell on her knees and then died. On her feet. She didn't know what to do, and was in some kind of trance when she felt Norrington's hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go, Elizabeth."

She took a last glimpse of Anne and her ship and walked the plank. This time for a better destiny than the last time she did it.

"Where's Jack?" She asked immediately.

"He's in my cabin." Norrington said. "Can you tell me what is going on here?"

"We'll have time for this later."

She ran to Norrington's room and found Jack on the bed, with his eyes closed. Her heart stopped.

"Don't you dare dying on me, Mr. Sparrow." She said, sitting on a chair right beside his bed.

"I wouldn't." Jack replied in a very weak voice.

"How bad is your wound?"

"Not bad enough to kill me, I'd say. I'm a rock."

"Yes, you are. You are a rock, Jack." Tears started to stream down her face.

"Are you crying, love?"

"No, I'm just…"

"Don't worry about me, Lizzie. I'll be fine."

"I should be the one telling you that."

"You're such a girl."

"I don't want to lose you, Jack. I can't."

She held his hand and rested her head near his. They remained in silence, listening to the men outside and the sound of the guns being shot. After what it seemed to be an eternity, it stopped.

"You should see what's going on there, love."

"Are you sure?"

"I won't die if you leave me for a couple of minutes."

Elizabeth stood up and went outside. She found Norrington standing near the doors without his hat.

"What happened?" She asked.

"The pirates left. Their captain died, apparently."

"She did."

"_She_?"

"Yes, she. Anne Bonney was her name."

"Were you friends?"

"No, of course not."

"Elizabeth, what happened?"

"Can we talk about it later?"

Norrington looked at her, worried. "Alright."

"Please take us to the nearest city as possible. Jack needs a doctor."

"Now you're worried about Sparrow?"

"James, please."

"I'll see what I can do about it."

James climbed up the stairs to talk to the crew about the change of plans, and Elizabeth entered the room.

"So?" Jack said. He was pale, and looked even weaker.

"They're gone. Anne's death changed things."

"Anne's dead?"

"Yes. One of Norrington's men shot her."

"Poor lass."

"I know. Do you know about her story?"

"I do. Her father and mother were not the best people."

"Let's hope she's in a better place now."

"She might be."

"I spoke to James. He'll take us to the nearest city and you'll be able to see a doctor."

"That's good news."

She sat on the bed and looked into Jack's eyes.

"Thank you for being so loving to me." He said.

"You need love. There's a lack of it in your life."

She started to caress his face, and kissed his forehead.

"It's going to be alright, Jack."

Jack held her hand and kissed it.

"Off we go then, Ms. Sparrow." He said, with a smile.


End file.
